Pilot wont stay lit when i release push down button on gas valve

Had pilot generator replaced and also replaced gas valve. Pilot flame is strong ,gas pressure good. Am i wrong in thinking that the control circuit is not a part of the pilot staying lit. Was thinking a wire could be grounding out shuting down valve so i disconnected all wires from gas valve leaving just the generator wires connected pilot goes out as soon as i release button,by the way i also tried another new pilot generator same results. Does any one have any ideas?

Are you certain you are connecting the generator to the correct terminals? Is the pilot head partially blocked not allowing the flame to reach the generator even though the pilot is lit? Can you read the millivolts on the generator leads? Is the reading 400mV or higher? I assume it will be with a new generator but if it is not then the flame is not across the generator as it should be. If it is, be certain you are connecting the two leads properly and in the correct order. The generator has polarity so it needs to be connected to the valve properly. The tag up inside the heater should give you the correct locations for the white and red wires on the valve.

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The pilot generator (aka thermocouple) has gone out. This is the little peg that is mounted close to the front of the burner. The flame heats the thermocouple and it puts out a millivolt current that holds the gas valve open after you release the button. The TC is no longer putting out enough current to hold the valve open.
I beleive the part # is TT15c-11, (about $15)

You need to turn the knob on the gas valve (inside the heater) to the "pilot" position. Then, while holding a flame over the pilot assembly push down on the knob.

Gas should come out of the pilot and ignite. Continue holding the knob down for 10-15 seconds. Release the knob and the pilot should stay lit. If not the pilot generator may need to be replaced.

Turn the knob to the "on" position, close the heater and turn the heater on and turn the thermostat to hot. The heater should fire. If it does not fire and the pilot goes out, that may also indicate a pilot generator problem.

You have a "pilot generator" that sits in the flame of the pilot light. This generates a low voltage output from the flame of the pilot light. This voltage goes to the gas valve and tells the valve that the pilot is lit and to keep the pilot gas line open. In almost all cases replacing the pilot generator will resolve the issue . They run about $60-$75. Other causes may be the gas valve itself or a short in the safety loop, in either case should be looked at by a pool tech.

First make sure the flame is at least 1 inch high and hitting the pilot generator (a metal tube about round as a pencil and 3 inches long with 2 wires coming from it to the gas valve). If there is not a good flame, then the burner tray needs to be removed and you need to use a paper clip and clean out the hole on pilot generator. Spiders like to make a nice web in that small hole.Reconnect burner tray and light again. If there is a good flame, the next step will take 2 people and a multi meter. while one person holds down the button on the gas valve to keep the pilot lit, the other person turn the multi meter on and set it to the millivolt setting. Take the 2 leads and touch them to the end of the two wires that come from the pilot generator to the gas valve after holding down the button for one minute with pilot lit, test the millivolts, if the reading is not at least 400 millivolts, then the pilot generator needes to be replaced.

well if you have 6.2 psig at the valve that is your problem. most valves will only take an inlet pressure of 14" wc or about 1/2 psig. as pilot gas comes out of the valve with no regulation it would be blowing like a son of a gun. so if you have 6 .2" wc,water colum you are in good shape. have you tried to jumper the limit connections? a paper clip would work just fine. but if it does work no fair leaving it in place as a great danger may come your way. tell me what the pilot looks like blue and sharp or yellow and layz. there is a magnet in the valve that the thermocouple screws into but these dont often go bad.

One possibility is that the Thermo Couple is beginning to fail' What is a Thermo Couple? (TC) The Thermo Couple (TC) is a small Rod-shaped device with a couple wires coming out the bottom. The TC actually generates a small electrical current from the heat of the Pilot. This electrical current is sensed by the control board, or the Main Gas Valve. As long as there is a pilot, it is safe for the Main gas valve to open, and admit the large amount of gas into the heating burner.

Now-- What helps this TV work the best? It needs to be just at the edge of the pilot flame--- Not too much in the flame, or the resulting poor combustion of the pilot flame, results in soot forming on the TC-- which insulated the TC from sufficient heat. Obviously the TC has to be clean (of soot) in order to receive enough heat, to generate the needed voltage to tell the valve that it is safe to open. And age does deteriorate the TC-- some last a few years, but that is about the end of life for most. Replacing requires getting down where the TC is, and with a screw driver (usually) the bracket that holds the TC needs to be loosened. Pay attention to wher the wires are routed, and any polarity indicated on the old wires, and duplicate on the new one. Duplicate routing, and polarity, and position the new TC at the edge of the pilot flame. Pilot flame is maintained by pushing some over ride button-- for a minute or two, until when you begin to release the button, you can feel that the voltage generated by the TC is now holding the pilot valve open, instead of your pressure on the 'start' button.

If it is a true "pilot" light, it needs to be held down long enough to generate the milivolts needed to prove to the gas valve that he is ready to open, other wise the gas valve would open, not igniting, thus causing a "gas leak". Turn the t-stat OFF, turn gas valve to pilot, push down on pilot knob, light pilot and hold for 2 minutes. After 2 mins let go, and if pilot stays lit, turn gas valve to ON, and turn the stat to heat and turn it up to desired temp. If pilot does not stay lit after doing above, try sanding thermo couple( the thing the flame is sitting in) or just spend the $15 bucks and replace therm couple. azeddysac@yahoo.com

the heater makes use of a millivolt generator which generates a small dc voltage (500-750mv) that is applied to the pilot valve of your main gas valve. when you light your pilot, the flame bathes the generator with a flame. after a delay you release the pilot button. if the generator is working, the pilot valve will stay lit. if the generator is not working the flame will go out as soon as you release the pilot button. change the generator.

Your problem is the pilot generator where the flame is by the burners. This needs to be repalced. That is what is causing the pilot to go out and not start. It is a flame sensor and also tells the gas valve when to release more or less gas.